Breech-loading firearm.



PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

A. OHUGHU. BREEGH LOADING FIREARM.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 24, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l/VVE/VTUR gfan (we Uacizu ATTORNEYS Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ATHANASE CHUCHU, OF BAHIA, BRAZIL.

BREECH-LOADING FIREARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 766,596, dated August 2, 1904. Application filed February 24, 1904. Serial No. 194,984. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, ATHANASE GHUoHU, a citizen of the Republic of Brazil, and a resident of Bahia, Brazil, have invented a new and Improved Breech-Loading Firearm, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of my invention is to simplify and improve the breech-loading firearm for which United States Letters Patent were granted to me March 15, 1887, No. 359328, the construction being such that the pivoted breech-block is provided only with a springcontrolled hammer, a sear for the hammer, an extracting-finger, afiring-pin, and a lever-controlled cam adapted for cocking the hammer and holding it locked in cocked position until purposely released, reducing the construction of the frame and breech-block to such few and simple parts as to render it possible for the arm to be repaired by any person of ordinary intelligence should the arm become damaged, it being possible to make such repairs-in ashort space of time and, if necessary, on the field.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the frame-section of the improved gun, showing the breechblock locked in the frame and the hammer down. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the frame of the gun and the breech-block, showing the breech-block closed and the hammer cooked and held in cocked position. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the frame of the gun and the breech-block, the latter being open to expose the bore of the barrel at the breech. Fig. 4 is avertical transverse section through the frame of the gun and the breech-block, which section is taken practically on the line 4 L of Fig.

'2, the breech-block being closed; and Fig. 5

is an enlarged section through the frame and the breech-block, the latter being in open position, the said section being taken practically on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

A represents the frame of the gun, which is open at the top and at one side and to an extent preferably open at the upper portion of the other side.

B represents the stock, C the barrel of the gun, which is fitted in the frame in any suitable or approved manner, and C represents the fore-stock for the barrel, secured to the barrel in any desired manner.

D represents the trigger-guard, which is either integral with or is attached to the bottom portion of the frame, and D the trigger, which is pivoted at the bottom portion of the frame within the trigger-guard and is provided with an upper head member d, operating in a slot in the bottom of theframe.

At the rear portion of the frame near its bottom a chamber 10 is produced, which is preferably horizontally located, and at the forward portion of the frame below the point where the barrel enters the frame a smaller chamber 11 is made. The breech-block D is adapted for axial movement in the said frame, as when the barrel is to be loaded the said breech-block is to be carried from an upper vertical position to a lower or horizontal position, as is illustrated in the drawings. To that end the breech-block D at one extremity has an extension 12 more or less conical longitudinally and circular transversely, which extension enters and is adapted to turn in the chamber 10 at the rear of the stock portion of the arm, and at the opposite or forward end ofthe breech-block a trunnion 1 L is produced adapted to enter and turn in the forward chamber 11. This trunnion 14: is more or less inclined at one portion of its outer end, so that the breech-block may be readily introduced into the said chambers 10 and 11, and the breech-block is held in its adjusted position in the frame by means of a locking-block 16, fitted to the rear upper portion of the frame-chambenand whenthe breech-block is in normal position in the frame-chamber the locking-block is adapted to be carried down in engagement with the outer face of the breech-block for the purpose of holding the said breech-block in position, as is shown in Fig. 1. While it is not absolutely necessary to raise the said locking-block 16 when the breech-block is to be carried down to its open position, at such time the said locking-block is preferably raised and is closed when the breech-block has been brought to its vertical or closed position.

An extractor 15 is located at the breech end of the barrel in the forward wall of the chamber of the frame A. This extractor is fitted in a suitable recess and consists of an upper segmental section adapted to receive the rim of a cartridge, and a shank-section 15, through which a pivot-pin is passed, holding the extractor in pivotal position in the said chamber of the frame, and at the lower end of the said shank 15 a foot 15 is formed, which extends outward or in the said chamber of the frame, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 5. When the foot end of the extractor is carried forward or in direction of the barrel of the gun, the upper segmental or body portion of the extractor is carried rearward, taking with it the shell, so that the flange orrim of the shell is removed sufficiently from the breech end of the barrel to permit a person to readily take hold of the shelland remove it from the barrel, so that another shell may be introduced.

The withdrawal action of the extractor is accomplished by carrying the breechblock downward and outward to its horizontal position, and the body portion of the extractor is brought to its normal or closed position with reference to the breech of the barrel automatically by the breech-block as it is carried to its upper vertical or closed position, as the breech-block at such time will engage with the body portion of the extractor and will bring it flush with the forward wall of the chamber of the frame, in which the breechblock has movement, and at such time the foot 15 of the extractor will be opposite and received by an aperture or slot in the forward end of the breech-block.

The extractor is operated to withdraw a shell in the following manner: An actuatingfinger 16 is pivoted in a recess 17, produced in the forward end of the breech-block D, which pivotal connection is effected through the medium of a suitable pin 18, as is particularly shown in Fig. 5, and as the breechblock is carried downward its dog engages with the foot 15 of the extractor and forces the said foot inward or indirection of the barrel, thus carrying the body of the extractor rearward or outward from the barrel, so as to bring the capped end of said shell in position to be readily reached and the shell withdrawn.

A hammer 20 is pivoted in the chamber of the breech-block in anysuitable or approved manner, the said chamber being designated as 21 in the drawings. 'This hammer 20 above and at the rear of its pivot-point, as is shown in Fig. 2, is preferably provided with a friction-roller 22, which engages with a mainspring 23, likewise located in the chamber 21, the said spring having a tendency to force the hammer 20 to a firing position or in engagement with the firing-pin to be hereinafter described. Below the hammer 20 a sear 24: is located, which is engaged by a member of the spring 23, so that the said sear is normally held in engagement with one or the other of notches 25 at the lower portion of the hammer 20, so as to hold the hammer in a full-cocked or in' a half-cocked position, as may be required. Said sear is located just above the extension (Z from the trigger D so that when the trigger D is drawn rearward the sear is raised and disconnected from the hammer, permitting the spring 23 to act to carry the hammer to firing position.

A cam 26 is fitted in the said chamber 21 of the breech-block D. This cam is practically of elliptical formation and is secured to a pivot-pin 27, mounted to turn in the breechblock D, which pivot-pin is also secured to a hand-lever 28 at the outer side of the frame. This hand-lever when the breech-block is in its upper or closed position is adapted to lie horizontally and longitudinally of the forestock C of the barrel and the frame and be lodged in a keeper 29, which extends outwardly and upwardly from the outer face of the frame, as is particularly shown in Fig. 1.

When the lever 28 is in an upper position or at right angles to the frame, as is shown in Fig. 2, the hammer is held cooked, and when the lever 28 is carried from its lower horizontal position (shown in Fig. 1) the cam 26 serves to cook the said hammer and, as stated, prevents the hammer from moving in direction of the barrel or to a firing position until the lever 28 is again carried downward to its normal horizontal position. (Shown in Fig. 1.) I

When the lever 28 has been brought to the upper position, (shown in Fig. 2,) the lever is utilized to turn the breech-block in its bearings to extract the partially-extracted or empty shell and to carry the breech-block again to its vertical position. The firing-pin 29 is of any suitable construction and has end movement in the forward end wall of the breech-block. The said firing-pin is provided with a recess 30 in its under portion, and in this recess the upper end of a shifting-lever 31 is located, the said shifting-lever being fulcrumed in any suitable or approved manner in the chamber 21 of the said breech-block. The shifting-lever 31 is more or less curved at its lower portion, and the curved section of the said lever is engaged by a curved projection 32 from the larger end of the cam 26, and in the operation of the lever 28, whereby the cam 26 is moved, when the point of the ITO cam carries the hammer 20 to its cocked position (shown in Fig. 2) the projection 32 from the cam 26 engages with the shifting-lever 31 and causes the said lever to draw the firingpin rearward or inward, so that its forward or outer end will be practically flush with the corresponding edge of the breech-block, enabling the breech-block to be moved in its pivotal bearings without interruption, and when the cam 26 is carried to a substantially vertical position between the hammer 20 and the shifting-leverSl, which occurs when the hand-lever 28 is carried down to the horizontal position, (shown in Fig. 1,) the trigger D may act on the hammer to release it, and the hammer will then strike the firing-pin 29 which at such time will be free to move outwardly and forwardly to an engagement with the cap on the cartridge.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In firearms, aframe, a breech-block pivoted in the frame, a controlling-lever for the breech-block, a hammer pivoted in the breechblock, afiring-pin carried by the breech-block, a cam arranged for cocking and locking engagement with the hammer, a lever connected with the firing-pin, a projection from the cam for engagement with the firing-pin lever, and

2. In firearms, a frame, a breech-block pivoted in the frame and removable therefrom, a confining device for the breech-block, a spring controlled hammer pivoted in the breech-block, a sear in controlling connection with said hammer, a trigger carried by the frame in operative connection with the said sear, a firing-pin, a lever connected with the firing-pin, a cam located between the lever of the firing-pin and said hammer, the said cam being adapted when moved in one direction for cooking and locking engagement with the hammer, a projection from 'the cam for engagement with the lever connected with the firing-pin, and a hand-lever at the exterior of the said breech-block, connected with said cam to operate the same, which lever is also adapted to move the breech-block from one to another position, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ATHAN ASE CHUCHU.

Witnesses:

' WILLIAM MCALLISTER,

IsAIAs RoDRIGUEs MoNoZs. 

